Cardiff take on the visitors Chelsea in quarterfinal match of English Football League Cup. The match will be played on Tuesday, December 16th at Cardiff City Stadium (Cardiff).
Cardiff once managed to break into the Premier League. However, it was a one-off experience that lasted only a single season. They never managed to repeat it, although the Welsh side remained a solid mid-table team in the Championship for quite some time. Last season, though, was nothing short of disastrous, as they finished 24th and were relegated early. This time, Cardiff are seriously aiming for an immediate return, and overall they have every chance of achieving it, having reached the winter break as leaders of League One. They even defeated Doncaster in the previous round. In the cup, however, they lost to Peterborough. In the current tournament, they have eliminated not only Swindon and Cheltenham, but also Burnley, and in the last round they overcame Wrexham, who had started the Championship campaign strongly. Their recent results show growing confidence and consistency across competitions. Playing at home, Cardiff have been able to impose their tempo and turn form into tangible results.
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Chelsea are coping with a very congested schedule but still look solid. The Blues clearly made the right choice by appointing Maresca last summer. Unlike his high-profile predecessor Pochettino, the Italian returned the London giants to the Premier League top four, while also winning the Conference League and then the Club World Cup in the summer. At the same time, that tournament limited recovery time, which, according to Enzo, contributed to a wave of injuries and, as a result, occasional slip-ups. Even so, the team generally look reliable. Chelsea are progressing confidently in the Champions League, although Atalanta managed to defeat the English side. In the Premier League, they are trying not to fall too far behind Arsenal, even managing a draw while playing with ten men. They then lost to Leeds and were held scoreless by Bournemouth, but after that 0–0 they calmly beat Everton 2–0, showing that the dip should not be overstated. Recent performances suggest Chelsea are capable of controlling matches despite rotation. Their results indicate resilience rather than a deep or lasting downturn.
The Blues have won all of the last five head-to-head matches against the Welsh side. The visitors are considered clear favorites. However, it is obvious that they will not field their strongest lineup, and the hosts are in excellent form. We are backing over 2.5 total goals.
Prediction for the match: Over 2.5 scored goals.
